2008 United States presidential election in Virginia

2008 United States presidential election in Virginia

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Turnout	74.0% 3.2[1]
Nominee Barack Obama John McCain Party Democratic Republican Home state Illinois Arizona Running mate Joe Biden Sarah Palin Electoral vote 13 0 Popular vote 1,959,532 1,725,005 Percentage 52.63% 46.33%
County and Independent City Results Congressional District Results Precinct Results Obama   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90%   90-100% McCain   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80–90% Tie/No Data
President before election George W. Bush Republican Elected President Barack Obama Democratic

The 2008 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 4, 2008, which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Virginia was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama by a 6.3% margin of victory. Prior to the election, 16 of 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise a likely blue state, despite the fact that Virginia had not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since Lyndon B. Johnson's 44-state landslide in 1964. The financial meltdown, changing demographics, and population increases in voter-rich Northern Virginia helped make the state more competitive for Obama. His victory marked a powerful shift in the political climate in Virginia, as the state would go on to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election thereafter.

This also marked the first presidential election since 1924 in which Virginia voted for the Democratic presidential candidate whilst neighboring West Virginia voted for the Republican candidate; in every election since, both states have voted for those respective parties. Despite Obama's victory, Virginia's margin was 0.97% more Republican than the national average, though it would be the last time Virginia voted more Republican than the nation. As of the 2020 presidential election^[update], this is the last election in which King and Queen County voted for the Democratic candidate.